Walter Ferguson

WINTER HAVEN -- A horticulturist with a crime-fighting bent, Mr. Walter "Walt" Ferguson of Winter Haven owned a landscaping business while working as a charter member of the Reserve Deputy Program.Mr. Ferguson of Winter Haven died of heart failure Wednesday (May 24, 2006) in Auburndale. He was 80.Born Feb. 2, 1926, in Sarasota, Mr. Ferguson lived his entire life in Polk County. He served in the Army Air Force and served in World War II and Korea."Being a World War II veteran gave him a unique sense of obligation to serve his community," said Tim Holleyman of the Polk County Sheriff's Office. "Some people care about their community. He actually did something about it."In 1971 the Sheriff's Office created the Reserve Deputy Program. The volunteers worked as crossing guards or funeral procession drivers but also carried the same responsibilities as a regular deputy."In the early days before there were police academies, the volunteers were counted on like regular deputies," said Holleyman, who worked as a deputy at the time and became friends with Mr. Ferguson. "They had to meet the same physical and aptitude requirements of a normal deputy."Before a formal training program existed Mr. Ferguson took new recruits under his wing and taught them the essentials of firearm use. He trained on his time off from his business, Ferguson Nursery and Landscaping, or teaching horticulture at Traviss VoTech.It wasn't unusual for Mr. Ferguson to make arrests while on duty, his wife, Iris Ferguson, said."He was always ready to go," she said.Mr. Ferguson volunteered in the program for more than 34 years."He was the heart and soul of the program," Holleyman said. "And he did it all for free."Mr. Ferguson was a member of the American Legion Post 8. He commanded the Polk County Sheriff's Auxiliary. He was a volunteer firefighter.He served as the state president of the Horticultural Spraymen's Association and was president of the North Winter Haven Rotary Club. He attended St. Paul's Episcopal Church.Mr. Ferguson is survived by his wife, Iris Ferguson; sons, Walter E. Ferguson III, Parchment, Mich., and John R. Ferguson, Dumfries, Va.; daughter, Julia Gardner, Charlotte, N.C.; stepson, Jay R. Hill, Winter Haven; stepdaughter, Venetia Giger, Polk City; five grandchildren; and one greatgrandchild.Visitation will be from 9 to 11 a.m. Tuesday at Oak Ridge Funeral Care, Winter Haven. Services will follow at 11 a.m. at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to the Good Shepherd Hospice, 105 Arneson Ave., Auburndale, FL 33823; or the Pantry Shelf Ministry at St. Alban's Episcopal Church, Auburndale.